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Short codes are perfect, at least for people who think texts can get a little bit too wordy.

That’s kind of/sort of a joke, but there’s certainly some truth there, in that short codes are an easy way to transmit interest, give a pledge for money or support, sign up for a mailing list, offer feedback or express an opinion, all by texting a small string of numbers and possibly a keyword or two.

A business that provides short codes to customers as an option is hoping the novelty and ease will appeal to their customers – rather than “forcing” them to perform more time-consuming activities like sending emails or making phone calls, or even texts or social media messages, short codes can be one of the simplest ways to solicit info and make contact.

If you’re still not sure what they are, here’s a quick overview.

A short code is actually a five- or six-digit phone number which can be leased from a short code provider such as the Common Short Code Association. Depending on the length of the lease and type of code, one code can cost a few hundred dollars or over $1,000, and businesses can lease up to 20 at a time.

Codes can be specific dedicated “vanity” numbers that can be chosen to be associated with a particular business or campaign, and may be easier to remember.

Or, the more affordable option is to lease a shared short code, which provides a random string of numbers. Because other businesses may also be using this combination at the same time, businesses can come up with a few keywords to accompany it, related to the promotion, campaign or business. This could have something to do with the topic or “Go” in front.

Once you have a code available you need to communicate it to your current or future subscribers. Users need to send that number and any keywords, and your short code provider or any texting service you work with can let you know how many responded.

So why are they handy?

• They provide a quick, accurate snapshot. Seeing a report with “X number of people texted to Code 1, and Y number of people texted to Code 2” is a much easier way to receive feedback from a large audience and gauge opinions, rather than having your staff answer phones, emails or texts all day.
  
  
• They can be fun. Beyond the standard “some texting fees may apply,” warning, it doesn’t cost your audience anything to share their feedback with a short code. You can even have silly promotions just to get people participating– “We’re voting on a new logo. Text ##### for Choice A or ###### for Choice B.”
  
  
• They can be serious. Some businesses use short codes as a way to spread the word about a particular charity or community project, and people who share it can pledge money. Or the business can use it as a guideline for how much to give. “We’ll donate $1 for everyone who sends the code.”
  
  
• They can make it easy for customers to save money. Mobile customers are using their devices more and more to improve the retail experience. EMarketer.com said more shoppers are actively price checking and interacting with their phones more than sales clerks everywhere from apparel stores to grocery stores. So business may consider offering an option like “send this short code and we’ll text you back a 50 percent coupon,” which could be a winner.
  
  
• They can aid opt-ins. One of the trickiest parts of mobile marketing is making sure everyone you contact has specifically OKed receiving your information and offers. Failure to do so can result in everything from unhappy people to possible fines. However, sending in a short code can make it easy to join a businesses’ electronic mailing list. They can add more info and complete a profile later, but at least the business will have their phone number and approval entered into their database.
  
  
• They can allow experiments. That’s one of the suggestions of the CSCA, which said it could be fun for businesses to try different types of campaigns with short codes to see which has the best response from their audience. This could be a marketing one designed to boost sales, a promotional one which can boost sign-ups, or an informational one, which mostly shares facts.
  
  
• They can help with brand building. During your code lease period, be sure to put information about it on your other channels and platforms, such as social media, your desktop site and mobile site. If you offer mass texts, tell sms subscribers this way as well.
  
  

You and your staff likely can come up with creative ways to seek customer input and  feedback via short codes. For more strategies visit www.trumpia.com.

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